Today I went wandering back to Highland Park, where I last went in November (see last real post) and took pictures of beautiful trees.
Highland Park is 150 acres large and the area I saw last fall is one corner of it. Today I went to part of the park that has 500 (correction from yesterday - mea culpa!) different varieties of lilacs, not to mention hundreds of other trees, plantings of all sorts of flowers and shrubs - it's a beautiful place!
Our spring has been rather odd - and between unusual warmth and more seasonally cold weather, the flowering plants have been somewhat...er...confused. I was afraid I wouldn't find much blooming and I'm happy to say that I was DEAD WRONG!
For those of you who live in Rochester, I'm in the area right around the Reservoir (it's not the only reservoir for Rochester, of course, but it is one of them).
Here we go!!!!
Magnolias - They're actually all over the place in terms of blooming. Some are all done, some have yet to come out, and some (poor things) were caught in that mind numbing cold we had after the very warm warmth. Their blooms show the result...but most of the trees in the park seemed to have managed fairly well.
The first view is of several beds of Daffodils and narcissuses (narcissi?)
See them marching toward the back of the picture? This is purposefully done planting that keeps the eye and the curiosity moving.
And, being a curiosity in my own right, I kept right on moving!
The tree is one of the magnolias...and the flowers looked pretty healthy, although a bit past their peak.
Here's a close up of the blooms:
Each of the magnolias in the area is a different type, but I was remiss and didn't get all of the names (they were too pretty! I got distracted!!!!)
This is yet another one and quite young. It has blooms, but time will tell if it's going to be okay after the strange weather...
This magnolia is past its peak in terms of bloom, but the ground was all carpeted with the petals and really lovely in its own right!
I got a little closer and took a shot. The colors are so beautiful and the blooms are such a bright punch of cheer...gotta love 'em!
You guessed it! MORE! I'll be quiet now....let the piccies do their own talking for a bit.
Oh, okay - can't be that quiet - all of the bloooming trees are magnolias, including the yellowish one in the front left....
I took a breather from all the blooming things and caught a shot of some branches (well, of a tree, naturally) on the hill up on my left. And there are some flowers blooming underneath the tree's branches. I just loved the branches from the get go..
Still looking up and left, past the previous picture -here are two maples - this is their spring color. The leaves are delicate and just lovely.
This is a close up of the trunk and lower branches of a red paper bark maple, a tree I've never seen before, but it's gorgeous! Their color is deep and rich and I don't know how well I caught it with the camera, but you have an idea at least. I have another shot right below this paragraph. Or I will have in a second...hang on...
It's a good thing to remember that Highland Park is really an Arboretum (a tree park) so you can see many different plants that you might not expect in most parks in this area.
These are the spring colors of this maple - again, it'll be red all summer and then really have a go at color in the autumn! And I get to watch and take pictures! How cool is THAT?
Here's a nice overview from the trail climbing to the reservoir. I loved the way the flowers and trees and land painted such a beautiful picture (I'm not good with poetry. I let the pictures do that...)
More pretty stuff on the flank of a hill...
This is a Nanking cherry tree (with most excellent branches and a root system that keeps it solidly in the sloping ground!
When I like a tree, I LIKE a tree - fortunately for you, I only took a couple of shots - this time. Grins evilly...there's always the NEXT time!!!
This is a view down one of the hills - See the tiny little cherry tree (all its blooms are done for the spring) right in the middle there?
And here is another picture that says volumes without my clumsy words to detract from it.
In case you're tired of flowers and branches and such - here's some sky!
I have magically transported us to the top of the hill where the reservoir is. And here we have some pretty white flowers. Snowball bushes, you ask? (That's what I thought for about...oh...hmmm )
There were butterflies there like you wouldn't believe (see the one I actually got to sit still long enough for me to snap a shot of?). That when I realized that these are not snowball bushes.
Here's one up close and personal. Yup - the shape of the individual little teeny flowers gives it away. 'Member I said that there were over 250 different types of lilacs in Highland Park? This is one of them! The fragrance was most excellent, and I didn't sneeze even once!
Two butterflies on this one! What a nice variation from the more recognizable lilac bushes we see in yards so frequently.
This spray of cherry blossoms is just beautiful. In the background you can just make out a street light of the type that were used all over Rochester for years.
I'm actually standing on the top step of some stone stairs that lead down the back of the reservoir hill. Yep, there are all sorts of wonderful things in this Park. All SORTS!
They're pink and they're pretty, but I'm not sure whether they're rhodies (we have lots around here) or peonies...I'm terrible! I can't be sure! Well, I can be sure that I'm terrible, but I'm not sure about what these are!!!! AAAAARGHHH!)
These, however, are going to be peonies (I think) in about 96 hours. Must remember, must remember. The park is free to everyone, so I have no qualms about going back and seeing if these have managed to bloom by the time I return...
Isn't this pretty? Heh - I know...I have to find a synonym...pretty, wonderful...gorgeous...
Myrtle...Vinca, I mean. Pretty ground cover (no mowing involved!)
Rhodies? Peonies? Help! Pretty - that's all I can say!!!!
Fortunately for all of you? I will not wax rhapsodic about the boulder here, even though it comes from an ancient sea bed...be quiet, Gayle We are enjoying the pretty trees! And the nice boulder.
I did find some lilacs that had begun to bloom - they're mostly on the one hill that goes down toward...hmmm..Highland Ave? That steeper one with the excellent drainage and the good sun exposure...
But they are not anywhere near peaked ... still have some time to go...
I walked off the trail and over hill and dale a bit - the ground is softer than the trail and I wanted to take a look at the trees. So here are some!!!
Cherry blossoms - they're just gorgeous...and I had fun trying to get up close enough to get some detail...
More detail (couldn't help it!!!!Honest!)
I felt like I was in the middle of a Longfellow poem, you know?
Then there are the double cherry blossoms!
Not to mention more of the small maple trees (and this one is pruned to be the shape it is, I 'm pretty sure...)
Watch under your feet, because there's always something to see here!
These lilacs are fairly out, although there are still many tight buds...
like these. This will be one of those red-purple lilacs when it blooms. Spectacular!!!!
And, for this walk through the park, I'll leave with a picture of two magnolias set about with splotches of those tiny blue flowers that are almost white...
I hope you've enjoyed! Next time? Who can tell? If who CAN tell, Who'd best not! Let's keep it a secret!
Have a good day, everyone!
